Crazy In Love
by ritebeforeyoureyes
Summary: Thea and Felicity are best friends but their friendship is put to the test when Thea's older brother, Oliver, discovers he has feelings for Felicity.
1. Chapter 1

There were times when Oliver felt genuinely concerned for Felicity. He had dragged her into his crusade as the vigilante and he could see the physical toll it took from her. Oliver wasn't sure if he was just imagining it but, sometimes, there was a hollowness in her eyes; one that he hadn't recognised previously. Felicity Smoak was usually the epitome of life. She was happy and hopeful and didn't hesitate to use the word "candy" in a sentence, any sentence. However, recently, her bubbliness had fizzled. She was harsh and precautious and Oliver couldn't help but blame himself. He had done this to her, _forced_ her into this.

"Are you okay?" Oliver knew what she would say but he felt obliged to ask. It was the least he could do.

"I'm fine." Felicity smiled gingerly yet the smile didn't reach her eyes. There was no bright blue twinkle, just … emptiness.

"Felicity-" Oliver tried but was instantaneously stopped.

"Oliver, I'm fine really," Felicity mumbled the next bit under her breathe. "Under the circumstance."

Oliver let out an audible sigh, his large chest heaving up and down as he did. He knew the effect The Hood had had on Felicity's life and he would do anything in his power to stop her from hurting … apart from the one thing she _actually_ needed from him.

"I'm so sorry," Oliver placed a heavy hand upon Felicity's shoulder, giving her a ginger squeeze. "I just can't bring Thea into this, I just can't. I know she's your best friend and I know you hate lying to her but after everything that's she been through recently telling her the truth will kill her."

Felicity, to some degree, knew that Oliver was right. She had witnessed Thea breakdown after the accident with the Queen's Gambit and she wasn't sure if her friend go through such distress again. Selfishly enough, Felicity wasn't sure if she could stomach Thea going through such distress again. Yet equally, Felicity knew lying to Thea was wrong. Whenever Thea wanted to hang out or spend some time together, Felicity always had to say no, she always had to make up a bogus excuse because she was helping Diggle and Oliver. Now the lies were escalating and Thea – who wasn't stupid – knew something was wrong. Thea had already begun questioning Felicity about where she spent all her time. All Felicity really wanted was to tell Thea the truth … she just wanted the heavy weight upon her chest to be lifted.

"Lying to her will eventually kill her too." Felicity spoke after moments of eerie silence. "What if she finds out from someone else? We're two of the closest people to her and if she finds out we've been lying to her-"

"She won't." Oliver was careful when hiding his identity under the hood and he was positive that Thea would never know the truth. What Thea didn't know wouldn't hurt her. And, despite wanting to prevent Felicity from hurting, he had to put Thea first.

"I'm pretty sure you decided to become The Hood on your own, Oliver and yet, here we are. Diggle and I weren't part of your original plan but we eventually found out. It's not impossible for Thea to find out either."

"She won't." Oliver said again, just a lot more sternly. His voice was laced with so much ice it scared Felicity. Her shoulders went rigid and Oliver felt her tighten underneath him. Again, he felt guilty for making her feel the way that she did. "I am sorry, Felicity _._ I care for you _so much_ but Thea's my sister and I want the best for her-"

"So do I!" Felicity jumped out of her swivel work chair, startling Oliver. "I care about Thea too, Oliver and I'm not sure if I can keep his secret from her for much longer. Lying to her is breaking my heart."

If only Felicity knew that her conflicted situation was breaking Oliver's heart too.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, dearest Felicity, what are our plans for this fine evening?" Thea looped her arm through Felicity's as she faked a – poor – British accent. The girls had decided to organise Verdant's alcohol stock and were currently planning their nightly conquest - or Thea was, at least. Felicity, on the other hand, was trying her best to come up with an excuse to cover up the fact that she would be spending the night helping Oliver, Diggle and Roy again.

"I ... I-" Felicity knew she was a bad liar and she also knew that Thea knew when she was lying but, right now, she had no other option. As per Oliver's wishes, she couldn't tell Thea the truth. "I … I can't do anything tonight." Felicity saw Thea's facial expression drop dramatically. Her smile lost its vibrancy and her eyes glimmered with a sadness that pulled on Felicity's heartstrings.

"Are you planning on video chatting with your mom?" Thea scoffed; surprisingly sarcastic. "For the third time this week?" Thea honestly didn't mean to be rude, she just hated being told lies, especially from Felicity. Felicity's relationship with her mom wasn't the greatest and the two hadn't spoken in years until recently. Thea just found it suspicious that Felicity and her mom had reconciled their rocky relationship so quickly.

"No no ... nothing like that," Felicity muttered quickly, attempting to cover her tracks a little more realistically this time. She gave herself a few seconds of awkward silence before speaking once again. "I ... Well ... I have a ... I have a date." The words slipped out before Felicity could stop them and she clamped her hands over her mouth hyperbolically; this was a lie that was going to lead to another string of lies.

"A date?" Thea echoed. A date was not what Thea had expected Felicity to say. Thea had known Felicity her whole life yet she hadn't known Felicity to have ever dated before. Felicity had only ever had one serious relationship - Cooper, in college - and that had gone awry for obvious reasons. And even when they were together, Cooper and Felicity had always refrained from going out. Since then, Felicity hadn't openly expressed any interest regarding relationships.

But now that Thea thought about it, it all made sense. The nights that she couldn't come out, the busy phone line, the constant stuttering and blushing - Felicity had been so secretive because she was seeing someone. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Thea asked in an excitement laced tone, her body now jittery with the desire for answers. "What's he like-" Thea paused before quickly adding. "Or she, I don't judge because I mean ... you're my best friend and I want you to be happy."

Felicity could see the giddiness within Thea and it only made her feel worse. She had lied to her best friend once again and now, she had to play along with this charade. Unlike all of her previous lies, this one wasn't going to be as easy to escape from. Felicity had to find herself a date, somehow or another to make this plausible.

"Thanks, Speedy." Like Oliver, Felicity called Thea by the ridiculous pet name. Felicity remembered the trio playing tag as children and Thea always winning, her long legs letting her travel gracefully through the Queen mansion. She remembered how Oliver and her would complain that Thea had an unfair advantage and she remembered how they'd mercilessly nicknamed her Speedy, a name that she still despised. The simple memory made Felicity nostalgic. She wished she could go back to a simpler time where Starling City seemed to be the safest place on Earth, where she didn't have to lie to her loved ones - when life was a lot less complicated.

"So, tell me," Thea took Felicity's hands into her own, squeezing them gently. "Who is it?" Thea's eyebrows wiggled suggestively and Felicity couldn't help but let a smile creep up onto her lips. Thea could make even the hardest of situations whimsical.

"I ... well ... he-" Before Felicity could answer, Oliver walked into the bar. Thea's head swivelled in response and Felicity let out a tight breathe she didn't know she had been holding. "Oliver!" She yelled, a little too cheerfully. Oliver's heavy stubble shifted with his face as he stared at Felicity skeptically, she was never this enthusiastic when greeting him and that signalled to him that something was off. Felicity's smile was artificially happy and her nostrils were flaring, something Oliver knew she did when she was nervous.

"Hey," He dragged out the syllables, unsure of why Felicity's face looked as bewildered as it did. "Thea, do you mind if I borrow Felicity for a second?"

"We were in the middle of a serious conversation but," Thea turned towards Felicity, her finger lifting to point at her directly. "You have to fill me in when you're done. I want details, like serious details, okay?" Felicity nodded her head, the movements so large, her ponytail bounced flamboyantly. She smiled at Thea briefly before jumping off her bar stool and exiting into the alleyway with Oliver following closely behind.

"Hey, is everything all right? What's going on?" Oliver wrapped his hand around Felicity's wrist, halting her steps abruptly.

"I told Thea I have a date tonight." As Felicity spoke, Oliver's heart sank. A feeling of light regret and jealousy settled within him unexpectedly. Oliver had grown close to Felicity over the past year and he had never known her to speak about anyone romantically. The thought of her going on a date with someone surprisingly angered Oliver. It was as if he had this invisible claim on her. She wasn't his girlfriend yet weirdly, at times, Oliver felt like her boyfriend. Oliver was protective over Felicity, he drove her home most nights, he ensured she was eating well by taking her out to dinner … Oliver had grown so comfortable with his Felicity routine that he hadn't realised she wasn't _his_ – until this precise moment. As of now, Oliver had only acknowledged Felicity as his friends when truly; he wanted her to be _much more than that._

"You have a date?" Oliver mumbled, a subtle scowl beginning to form upon his face.

"I don't," Oliver sighed with a sense of relief, the anger within him fizzling away gently. He felt stupid for overreacting so quickly. "It was just a cover up because I'll be at the lair tonight and now Thea's asking all of these questions that I don't have answers to. What am I meant to tell her? I'm dating my imaginary friend, Fred? She's going to see right through me-" Felicity stopped babbling suddenly. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water and Oliver frowned his eyebrows at her in confusion.

"What?"

"You!" Felicity looked at Oliver with a mischievous grin. "You can be the guy I've been dating! It makes perfect sense. I've lied to Thea because I wasn't sure how she'd react to me seeing her brother." Felicity seemed so proud of her alibi, her lips finally igniting with a smile that seemed half genuine.

"What?" Oliver gaped widely at Felicity. Yes, Oliver did have feelings for Felicity but, he didn't want to be a forced into a scenario in which he was Felicity's fake boyfriend. If he was going to pursue a romantic relationship with Felicity, he was going to do it the traditional way. Oliver was determined not to screw up yet another relationship and Felicity's plan sounded messy. How was Oliver meant to differentiate between a pretend relationship and a real one? How was he meant to prevent himself and Felicity and Thea from hurting?

 _He couldn't._

"Think about it carefully," Felicity let the storyboard form in her head, the pieces of a façade coming together like a computer encryption. "We'll be able to spend more time together openly, no questions asked. We'll get to make up viable excuses to why we don't spend as much time as we should with Thea because I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be too keen on joining her brother on a date."

"Felicity," To some extent, Oliver could see where Felicity was coming from. The story would make a lot of sense but, Oliver wasn't sure if this was the right way to keep Thea away from the Arrow. This lie didn't just mean lying to Thea, it meant lying to a lot of people. Oliver was a public figure which meant thrusting Felicity into a whirlwind of press and unwanted attention. "Everyone will see right through this … us. It'll just make the situation even more complicated-"

"Oliver, we've been lying to her for over a year now and this just makes keeping Thea in the dark easier. We won't have to lie to her when we spend time together, we just wouldn't be telling her the entire truth. Besides, I've already told Thea I have a date and if it's not you, I'm going to have to find one. You're one of my closest friends, I would much rather it be you than another-"

"Fine." Oliver _humph_ -ed childishly, the unsettling thought of Felicity with another man remerging. "I'll do it. I'll fake date you."


	3. Chapter 3

Felicity inhaled and exhaled deeply, her heart hammering violently in her chest. After receiving an urgent call from Officer Lance, Oliver had chosen to stay outside whilst Felicity spoke to Thea on her own. The duo had agreed that Felicity should be the one to tell Thea about their _relationship._ After all, no sister wanted to hear her brother talk about his dating life in detail, even if it was just pretend. They had come to the conclusion that ice would be broken easier if Felicity broke the brink of the news.

"Hey, there you are!" Thea was currently standing behind the bar at Verdant. She was partaking in the base-menial task of washing out shot and beer glasses. "I thought you'd gotten abducted out there." Thea chuckled softly, her laughter harmonizing with the occasional clink of glass. Felicity merely smiled before joining Thea, her hands delving into a soapy bucket. The two worked in a comfortable silence until Thea's curiosity got the best of her. "Okay, Felicity, you're killing me here, I need answers."

"Alright," Felicity sighed, her hands shifting within the muggy soap water. "I'll tell you about my date but only …" Felicity let out an audible breathe that was simultaneous with the pulse ringing deeply in her ears. "Only, if you promise not to judge and let me finish without any interjections."

"Felicity, I told you, I don't judge, _especially_ when it comes to you." Thea nudged Felicity's waist with her elbow jokingly. In one swift movement, Felicity dodged her arm and she grinned inwardly at her reflexes; she had picked some stuff up of Dig. Thea stared at Felicity in amazement, her voice whinny and impatient now. "Just, tell me."

"My date-" Felicity started and Thea nodded eagerly, urging her to continue. If it were scientifically possible, Felicity felt her breathing rate sky-rocket. "My date … He's … It's … Oliver." Felicity whispered his name so quietly that Thea wasn't entirely sure she'd heard her correctly. "I know, I know it's surprising and unexpected but we are-"

"It sounded like you just said Oliver." Thea did the last thing that Felicity had expected her to – she laughed, loudly. Her laughter echoed whimsically throughout the room and Felicity stared back at her, utterly puzzled by her reaction. Did Thea not hear properly or was she happier than expected about the news she'd just received? "Funny, you had me fooled for a second … But seriously, Felicity, jokes aside, tell me who it is."

"Thea," Felicity gaped, her mouth opening and closing. Thea thought she was joking – _this was going to be_ _a lot_ _harder than_ _either_ _Felicity or Oliver had anticipated._ "I am … I'm serious. I'm dating Oliver." Felicity wasn't whispering his name anymore and Thea practically choked on her own saliva, her laughter coming to an abrupt halt.

"You're … you're dating my brother?" Felicity just shook her head, yes, and before Thea even acknowledged what she was doing, her newly clenched fist was punching Felicity's cheek. Everything seemed to move slowly: Felicity's head, Thea's hand. The sound – so loud – seemed to last an eternity and the pain hadn't settled into Felicity until Thea let out a surprised gasp. The side of Felicity's face stung, a bright tomato red and Thea's eye bulged open in disbelief. "Oh my God!" She watched as Felicity clung to the left side of her face. "I don't know why I did that! I'm so sorry."

"It's okay-"

"No," Thea reached for Felicity, her hands resting against her shoulders. Felicity smiled through her pain, understanding the reasons behind Thea's abrupt notion. She had known Thea her whole life and she understood her heightened protectiveness regarding Oliver; the Queen siblings were inseparable. "It's not okay, I'm _really_ sorry … I … just … I don't know what came over me."

"I'm fine, Thea, honestly, you're just in shock and I shouldn't have just blurted it out like that." Felicity ran her thumb over Thea's hand gently. The two stood still, hugging, as they calmed down their peaking emotions: pain and shock. "I am sorry, Thea, this is my fault. I should have told you sooner, I shouldn't have let anything between me and Oliver because of my friendship with you-"

"Felicity, you're my best friend and yes, you dating Olly came as a surprise but it all makes sense now; the lying, the sneaking around. I thought … I thought maybe I'd done something to drive you both away but, it's a relief knowing that there won't be any secrets anymore." Felicity cringed, despite this extravagant façade that Oliver and her planned to uphold, they were still lying to Thea. However, this way, Felicity knew Thea wouldn't be as in the dark as she previously was … it lifted the weight of her chest – slightly.

"Eh," The girls were interrupted by the clearing of a masculine throat. They turned at once to find themselves looking at an uncomfortable Oliver. This was one of those rare moments where Felicity saw a glimpse at a somewhat normal Oliver – he was blushing. His cheeks were tinged with a soft pink and his gaze looked everywhere but directly at the two girls. To Thea, the sight of her brother so embarrassed was amusing, cute all most. "Everything okay in here-" Oliver finally made the decision to look up but he was greeted by the sight of Felicity's bruising cheek. Instant worry flooded Oliver and he couldn't help but express it openly. "Felicity!" With three long strides he was standing in front of her, using his large hand to cup her face gingerly. "What happened?"

"Nothing, nothing." Felicity turned her head away from Oliver's questioning gaze but he merely used his fingers to direct her chin back towards him. "Oliver, really, it's nothing."

"You didn't have that bruise when I last saw you-" Oliver turned towards his sister sharply. "Thea, you didn't-"

"Olly, I … I didn't know what happened. I was shocked and … and-" Oliver saw the genuine regret written upon his sister's face and he knew he couldn't be angry at here. On the other hand, as he reached to touch Felicity's face he felt her body go rigid. She was in pain. Oliver was conflicted about how to respond in such a situation – his sister on one side, Felicity on the other.

"Does it hurt?" Oliver's voice softened as he let his finger trail over the raw purplish bruise. Felicity made a facial expression that signalled to Oliver that she was okay; brave enough to suck up the pain. She was trying to suck it up for Thea's sake yet she couldn't hide the fact that her face still stung a little from the impact. "Thea, grab some ice, please." Thea willingly obliged as Oliver nestled Felicity onto a stool. It was as if Felicity had suddenly become this fragile little being that Oliver yearned to protect.

"Oliver, I'm fine. Don't fuss over me because frankly because I'm not, the bruise will heal. Just worry about Thea. I've done my part as her friend, it's your turn to be there as her brother."

Oliver nodded, he knew Felicity was right and so, he spoke to Thea at dinner. He confronted her about what he felt for Felicity and she listened. The two sat at a secluded bar, indulging in the details surrounding Oliver's sudden infatuation with Thea's friend. Even though it was meant to be a charade, Oliver didn't find himself lying once about how he felt about Felicity. He had spoken the absolute truth for once and Felicity was right, a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Having missed five years of Thea's life, Oliver felt as if he had to reconnect with his sister. This was obviously difficult to do when all Oliver did was lie to her; it was nice to finally be honest.

"I haven't seen you this happy since…" Thea tried to think of a time when she'd seen her brother so happy and she came back with nothing. This was the happiest she'd seen him – ever – and it was refreshing to see after everything he had been through; their father passing away, the island, Laurel and then Tommy's death. It was about time that Oliver received the happiness that he deserved. "If Felicity makes you happy, I'm not going to stand in your way."

"Thanks, Speedy." Oliver wrapped an arm around Thea's shoulders, giving her a tight squeeze of gratitude, and a goodbye. "But, you'll have to excuse me, I have a date tonight." Thea smiled knowingly, giving Oliver's stubble a gentle peck before watching him leave.

Oliver couldn't help but leave the bar with a child-like grin on his face. His insides felt warm and he felt genuine happiness for once – he just hoped it could be real _._ Deep down, Oliver hoped he could turn this messy charade with Felicity into something more, something a little more _permanent._ Oliver's mind seemed to play tricks on him as it conjured up images of him and Felicity together, something he hadn't realised he had wanted until recently. He envisioned settling down, marriage maybe? Starting a family, fighting crime with _his_ partner.

"So, how did it go?" Oliver skipped down the steps to the lair, his smile unchanging as he spotted Felicity perched on her swivel chair.

"Good, Thea's on board." Diggle stood beside Felicity, grinning from ear-to-ear with a look that screamed _I-told-you-so_ but Oliver chose to ignore it, his mind-set settling into the one of the Arrow's. It was as if his change in demeanour changed everybody else's because instantaneously, Diggle dropped the look and Felicity began aggressively typing.

"I looked up the lead that Officer … Captain Lance gave us and it looks like we have a cyber-terrorist on our hands." Felicity pulled up an image that depicted a blurry figure in the window of Queen Consolidated's Applied Science department. "His name's Paul Hawkins, has worked for Consolidated for fifteen years and is currently using his master's degree in Computer Science to embezzle money into an account that I believe is being used to supply gun weaponry to teens in the Glades."

"But why?" Diggle asked, the story not adding up in his head. "From what I know of Hawkins, he's a family man with a fair enough income to allow at least two vacations a year. Why the need for money embezzlement?"

"That's what I thought and I looked into his family history," Felicity clicked a few more buttons and up popped an image of said Paul Hawkins as a child. "He's a middle-class male who moved to Starling after marriage so he's had no association with the Glades in his childhood and his monthly wages make up my year's rent so … the story doesn't add up to me either."

"Felicity, keep digging." Oliver instructed. "Lance said there has been word of a hostile takeover of Starling's council by the people in the Glades. They are unhappy after everything that's happened and we need to stop things from getting out of hand."

"On it, _boyfriend._ " Felicity mock saluted, leaving both Diggle and Oliver chuckling.


	4. Chapter 4

"No, no, no this isn't possible." Felicity tangled her hands in her hair, gnawing at it in frustration. Felicity's morning had started with a mug of hot water, since there was no coffee in her house; a rainy Starling City, a soaking wet journey to work and the news of the death of Paul Hawkins. After spending nights researching everything to know about Paul Hawkins, Felicity was sure she was catching onto something but to no avail – his wife had found him hanging from their bedroom ceiling fan last night.

Clumsily throwing her bag onto the floor, Felicity slid into her seat, her hands working their magic as she attempted to find out as much as she could about Hawkins' mysterious death. She was so preoccupied with her task that she hadn't noticed the bouquet of white peonies on her desk; her favourite flowers. Her hair had started to drip and she removed the band to free her ponytail, her gaze finally settling on the unexpected gift. The bouquet was evidently expensive, elegantly arranged with glittered twigs and perfectly shaped leaves that were neatly tied together with a silk bow. Felicity smiled to herself, she knew her relationship with Oliver was a façade but the flower gesture was sweet. Getting flowers as a gift wasn't really something that Felicity was used to and, it was nice. She picked the flowers up, giving them a gentle sniff before returning to her computer.

"Hit me, Felicity." The elevator pinged and Oliver and Diggle walked into the open plan office. Rain was slashing down against the glass windows and there was an eerie element present within the place. Oliver and Diggle, impeccably dressed in suits, seemed unfazed by the violent weather outside. In fact, neither of them looked like they had a drop of water on them. On the other hand, Felicity felt as if she had paraded through sprinklers. "What have you found on our cyber-terrorist?"

"Good morning, Oliver," Felicity mocked. "My morning's been fine and dandy, thank you for asking." Oliver simply rolled his eyes at Felicity's sarcasm, urging her to continue. "From the autopsy report, there were some signs of struggle but Hawkins did indeed commit suicide." Felicity pulled up a picture of the markings on Hawkins' throat. It was unbelievable how after being squeamish about blood for years, Felicity was now able to look at it as if it were nothing. "The bruise marks indicate rope burn but the redness suggests he panicked and tried to get the noose off which, doctor's reported as usual in such cases."

"Any reasons for why he'd do such a thing? Some sort of motive maybe?" Diggle peered at the screen intently, his eyes trying to detect something maybe the doctor's hadn't. Being in the army had enabled Diggle to decipher things that some people couldn't, Diggle appreciated the world a lot more than he previously did and he was able to pay attention to the little things that people conventionally looked over.

"No, I think he was working for somebody." Oliver added, trying to piece together a plausible story. "I think Hawkins was the inside guy who had enough knowledge about Queen Consolidated to rewire accounts, I think he was just taking orders from someone else."

"But who?" Felicity questioned, her mind swarming with unanswered questions. "I've looked into Paul's phone records and his emails and nothing out of the ordinary has happened. I'm running out of expletives."

"Maybe we should try and pay close attention to his family? With Hawkins dead, I'm sure whoever hired him will want to be certain that they've left no traces behind so … that'll probably involve them breaking into the Applied Sciences department here or breaking into his home." Oliver suggested, his face contorting in deep thought. "We can double up security here so that's not a problem but, Hawkins' home will be a lot more difficult."

"That's a little risky though, isn't it Oliver?" Diggle tried to reason. "What if this anonymous person doesn't do anything? What if they don't break into Queen Consolidated or the Hawkins home? What if they've got all the money they need? There are children in the Glades with guns who were armed for a particular purpose, we can't just abandon them." Diggle's words of wisdom settled into the atmosphere and Felicity acknowledged the weight of what he was saying.

"Dig's right, Oliver. Catching this guy is secondary to saving the people in the Glades." Felicity placed a hand on Oliver's forearm, giving him a gentle squeeze. Oliver looked into Felicity's blue eyes, her gaze instantaneously calming him down.

"This guy or organisation is dangerous, not searching for him means risking thousands of lives." Oliver was conflicted about what to do next. "But, we can't be sure that the people in the Glades will stay safe either."

"I'll do it." Felicity's brain chimed bright with an idea that she hoped would work. Oliver and Diggle stared back at her, already prepared to say no to whatever she had to suggest. Usually Felicity's desire to get physically involved with missions resulted in her hurt, something neither Oliver nor Diggle wanted. "Paul Hawkins worked here, right? Well, I work here too, I can go to his house to pay my respects as a colleague. I could just concoct a bogus story about how we rode the elevator together in the mornings or something. I can be at the funeral, scope out the place and see if I can find anything suspicious."

"No." Oliver huffed, turning to look at Diggle who stilled with a slightly optimistic glimpse in his eye.

"Why not?" Felicity jumped out of her swivel chair, her arms folding across her chest. "You guys can keep an eye on the Glades and I can make sure everything's okay with the Hawkins's, you know hit two birds with one stone."

"Felicity, I appreciate you wanting to help but-" Oliver rubbed a clammy hand across his forehead. "Having you in the Hawkins' house isn't the ideal situation to keep _you_ safe. I'm not sending you in there on your own."

"I won't be on my own, though, I'll have my earpiece in and I'll be able to contact Diggle if I need his help. In the meantime you can be in the Glades, seizing as many weapons as you can. It's the only option we've got to keep the majority free from harm." Felicity counter-acted Oliver as soon as he had finished talking, indicating to him that she had thought this through. Despite the prospects of her plan sounding clear cut and pretty simple, Oliver wasn't too happy about putting Felicity in harm's way; it was enough that he had exposed her to his world of deceit and corruption.

"I've got her back, man." Diggle added for Oliver's reassurance. Even though Diggle didn't want to put Felicity in any kind of danger, he knew this was the only way for their mission to be successful. "I won't let anything happen to her."

"Fine," Oliver had recently found himself giving into Felicity a lot easier than he used to and he wasn't sure if it was a good thing - he had agreed to be her fake boyfriend and now he was agreeing to her being at the forefront of a mission. "Just …" Oliver turned to Diggle. "Make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Never." Diggle smiled at Felicity, who he considered to be his little sister.

"Thank you, Oliver, for letting me do this." Felicity looked at Oliver who still looked a little sceptical about her plan. His eyes were glassy as if he was in deep thought and his fingers were twitching nervously at his side. "Oh! And thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful." Felicity picked the flowers up again, taking her time to admire them this time around. "I'm surprised you remembered that they were my favourite."

"Flowers?" Oliver spun around in his Italian shoes, the leather squeaking against the freshly mopped floor. In Felicity's hands sat a large bouquet of white that seemed to bring out the depth of blue in her eyes. "Felicity, those aren't from me." Oliver was all most blown away by how simplistically beautiful she looked in that one moment. Her blonde hair was damp from the rain and had settled into a natural bounce, one that framed her face and accentuated her rosy cheeks. The flowers stood out dramatically against her soft orange dress, igniting the room with a certain indescribable warmth. Oliver was annoyed at himself for not being the person who had brought the flowers. He was also annoyed at the fact that _somebody else_ was buying Felicity flowers.

"They're not?" Felicity asked, in absolute surprise. "What?" She whispered to herself, who could possibly be sending her flowers if it wasn't Oliver? Felicity glanced around, hoping to see a note or a card from her _secret admirer._

"Here." Diggle had just about spotted the white card tucked under the bottom of Felicity's desk. He grabbed it and handed it to her before glancing at Oliver questioningly. "Who are they from?"

Felicity must have dropped the card when she'd picked up the flowers the first time. She hadn't even thought to check if there was one because she had just presumed they would be from Oliver. Carefully, placing the flowers back down, Felicity undid the envelope, eager to grasp an indication of her gift-giver. Felicity wasn't the type of girl who got flowers randomly. She never had been. She was the type of girl that people usually looked past or when they were with, never truly appreciated. It made Felicity feel good, happy … The gesture was small yet one that made her grin.

However, the smile was quickly wiped off of Felicity's face as soon as she read the card. Diggle and Oliver both saw her fall in expression and within seconds, Oliver was clawing the flimsy piece of paper out of Felicity's hand.

"For my darling, Lis." Oliver read the card out loud. The four words were enough to still Felicity into shock and Oliver rotated the card in his hands to see if there was a sign off – there was none. "Felicity, who is this from?" Felicity didn't respond, her body had gone rigid and her eyes seemed to be staring of into the distance. Oliver asked her again but, no response. "Felicity!"

"There are, _were_ only two people who called me Lis … my … Dad," Felicity gulped audibly at the word, _Dad._ Her Dad had left her and her mom when she was in her early teens and the topic of his departure was still sore. She never really spoke about it, not even to Thea, and Oliver never pressed on the issue. But, there was one thing that Oliver did know, Felicity hadn't heard from her Dad in all most a decade. It was highly unlikely for the card to be from her Dad.

"Who was the other person?" Diggle placed a hand on Felicity's shoulder, rubbing at it softly in an attempt to comfort her.

"Coo … Cooper, my ex-boyfriend, Cooper." Again, Oliver wasn't too familiar with the issue of Cooper. Thea hadn't really told him much other than he was dating Felicity for two years and that it had been serious … until he had gotten arrested (for what, Oliver wasn't too sure). Felicity hadn't heard from him since.

"Do you think Cooper could have sent you these?" Jealousy coursed through Oliver and he stared at the flowers with an unreadable expression. "I mean … he could have gotten released from prison, right?"

"No … it can't … Cooper," Felicity was struggling with whole sentences. "He couldn't have …"

"He what, Felicity?" Oliver found himself struggling with snippets of the story. He was struggling so much that his tone come out harsh and rude, something which Felicity flinched at. "Come on, Felicity. Talk to us."

"Cooper, he … killed himself before sentencing." The tears came unexpectedly and Felicity couldn't stop them. Her body shook with memories of Cooper; his hands on her, the feel of his lips, his dishevelled hair, their spontaneous trips. The news of Cooper's death had destroyed Felicity; it was why she had decided against her master's degree and returned home, to Starling City. "I'm sorry … I just … I need some air." Felicity let Diggle's hand drop from her shoulder as she ran out of the room, leaving Oliver and Diggle stunned into silence.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ollie," Thea gave her brother a tight squeeze, her small arms wrapping around his torso. "Who knew you were such a romantic?" Thea asked rhetorically with a light mocking tone. Thea was looking at a gift basket that sat upon the Verdant bar. The gift basket was so large it threatened to slip off the edge. Just like the flowers Felicity had received the day before, the basket was expensive. "I actually can't believe you took out the time to buy Felicity that! I mean … I never thought you paid that much attention to her but, the thing is full of her favourite stuff; red wine, bath bombs, scented candles-"

"Yeah," Oliver chuckled dryly, knowing for a fact that he hadn't sent Felicity the basket. "I … Just thought I'd do something nice."

"And, I appreciate it." Felicity emerged from one of the darker corners of the club, her tablet in her hand. From the look on her face, Oliver knew that Felicity had realised that the basket wasn't from him; she was just playing along for Thea's sake. "Thank you, Oliver." Felicity smiled, acting coy, her hand settling against Oliver's bicep.

"I think it's going to take me a while to get used to this." Thea just chuckled, looking between Felicity and Oliver. This was definitely unexpected but Thea was now wondering why the couple hadn't gotten together sooner – they were perfect together. Subconsciously, Oliver's face ignited with a smile whenever Felicity was in his presence and Felicity grew evidently nervous and shy in response. Thea was ready to coo out loud before her attention was suddenly diverted to the sound of a delivery truck. As per usual, the weekly delivery of alcohol and snacks had arrived and Thea excused herself to tend to them. "I'll see you guys later, duty calls." Thea raised her pinkie finger before skipping gracefully outside.

"Another gift?" Oliver questioned, moving closer to the woven basket. It had been specifically tailored for Felicity which was explicitly clear. Like Thea had stated, the person who had sent Felicity the basket knew her well, it consisted of little items that made Felicity happy or they would have if Felicity didn't have an inkling about who they were from. Cooper was out of the picture – for obvious reasons – so the basket was likely to be from her father. Yet, her father had left her and her mom when she was a young teenager, so how did he know about her likes and dislikes _now_? "Was there another note?"

"Just the same one as yesterday," Felicity sighed loudly, the nickname _Lis_ imprinted in the forefront of her brain; she had always hated it. "But, I did find this." Felicity pulled out a company card that had been discreetly tucked into the gifts. It seemed like an overlooked detail from her gift givers part. "If I can hack into the company's system, I can see who made the payment."

Oliver watched with great interest as Felicity decoded multiple websites and hacked her way through password barriers. Her eyes twinkled and her fingers speedily swiped at screens and typed at keyboard buttons until she was where she wanted to be; a place that gave her answers. "This doesn't make any sense. Unless I'm going crazy, yeah, that's it … I'm losing it." Felicity babbled to herself, her fingernails tapping the exact same spot on the tablet furiously.

"What?" Oliver moved to stand behind Felicity immediately, his hands subconsciously resting upon her hips. Surprisingly enough, Felicity didn't feel as if the gesture was intrusive or uncalled for, his hands were rough yet oddly gentle and … dare she admit it, she liked the way that they felt. His touch was comforting in a situation like their current one. "What did you find?"

"Holland Hawkins," Felicity said her name slowly, as if she were letting the taste of bad wine settle upon her tongue. "Her name is on the debit card that paid for my gifts."

"Hawkins," Oliver's eyebrows frowned together in confusion. "As in Paul Hawkins' wife?" Oliver squinted his eyes at the screen and Felicity was in fact correct, a Holland Hawkins had paid for a bouquet of flowers and the gift basket that sat before them. "That doesn't make any sense, what does she have to do with you?" Felicity and Oliver were both drawing out blanks, none of this made any sense to either of them. "Can you hack into the rest of her payment history?" Oliver asked Felicity and she simply stared back at him with a cocked eyebrow - was he really doubting her hacking abilities? " _Will_ you hack into the rest of her payment history?"

"Already on it." A buffering page popped onto the tablet screen and Felicity placed it down for a second to admire to gift in front her. She fingered the ribbons that tied the basket together, her eyes settling on a bottle of burgundy Pinot Noir; her favourite wine. "I just … I don't get it." Felicity whispered, shaking her head as she turned her attention back to Holland's bank statement.

"There's nothing odd about her spending," Oliver was peering over Felicity's shoulder as they scrolled through Holland's statements for the past few months, his chin settling on her shoulder. Felicity could feel the warmth of his breathe fanning across her face, sending gentle waves through her spine. "She's been to supermarkets, children's toy stores, she's paid bills-"

"Here." Felicity interjected Oliver as she pointed at a single transaction that she would have missed if she had blinked. "Six-thousand-dollars were transferred into her account by Paul only to be transferred back out into a different account … to a _Dean Smithsword_." Felicity attempted to hack into this Dean Smithsword's records but she came to various dead ends, indicating to her that Holland Hawkins and Dean Smithsword had done everything in their power to hide something - something was definitely fishy.

"If Paul was working for someone, maybe she was in on it too?" Oliver suggested, his palm flattening to rub at his stubble covered jaw. "Maybe this person was using both Paul and Holland. Holland probably has wealthy contacts in Starling City and Paul obviously knew his way around Queen Consolidated-" Oliver sighed heavily. "I just don't understand what this all has to do with you?"

"You think this Dean Smithsword could be the mastermind behind all of this?" Oliver shrugged in reply, his mind clouded with confusion, just as Diggle entered the room.

Diggle didn't have a uniform yet he always chose to wear black, head-to-toe, when he was playing undercover. Felicity, on the other hand, cringed inwardly – she was meant to be going to see Holland Hawkins today, to pay her respects yet she stood in fluorescent orange summer dress. It was also the day she was supposed to snoop around the Hawkins' home; she would stick out like a sore thumb. Diggle held in a chuckle as he saw the recognition click within Felicity's mind. "I think Thea has some clothes downstairs, I'll go grab them."

"What's going on, Oliver?" Diggle waited for Felicity to skip out of hindsight before he confronted a worried looking Oliver.

"I have a bad feeling, _about all of this,"_ Oliver couldn't stop the fright seeping through his tone. He wasn't scared for himself; he never had been, not since the island. Both Oliver Queen and the Arrow faced danger on a daily but Felicity, Felicity was the one who was always in the foundry, usually out of harm's way. But this, this case had Felicity at its forefront and Oliver wasn't sure if he'd be able to save her, not this time. The thought of not being able to protect her killed Oliver. "We've been at it for a week and we've found nothing and this … someone keeps sending Felicity presents and, and-"

"Oliver," Diggle's voice had a certain element of wisdom to it and it was weirdly soothing. "We're going to catch this guy, okay? And we're going to keep her safe."

"How are we meant to keep her safe?" Oliver smacked his hand flat against the bar island, the smack resonating throughout the empty room. "We're sending Felicity into the Hawkins' house by herself where she'll face God knows what - how is that keeping her safe?" He was yelling now and Diggle wasn't fazed by it, at all.

"You love her, _don't you_?" Oliver didn't even have to verbally respond, the welling tears in his eyes screamed a million words.

"I promise you," Diggle placed a hand on his shoulder, giving it a heavy shake. "We are going to protect her, even if our lives depend on it." Because, just like Oliver, Diggle loved Felicity too; he had lost a brother, he wasn't going to lose a sister too.

"We all set?" After a few moments of a tension filled silence, Felicity bounded back up the stairs. She was wearing one of Thea's black dresses (more suited to the occasion) Oliver noticed how much shorter the dress was on her and he threw her his jacket, one which she caught with little grace. She stumbled and fumbled with the leather jacket, smiling sheepishly as she slipped it on.

"Before you leave, we're setting some ground rules," Oliver's face ignited with a stern look. Felicity had a tendency to do some reckless things sometimes and this time, Oliver wouldn't be there to stop her. Just as Diggle and Felicity would take their leave, Oliver would suit up and scan through the Glades. If something went wrong, it would take Oliver a good fifteen minutes to get to Felicity's aid. "You have your microphone on at all times, you keep talking to Diggle, you make sure no one is watching you-"

"And I'll promise to finish my vegetables." Felicity joked, a joke which Oliver did not find funny, not in a situation like the current. "Oliver, it's fine, I have Diggle. I'll be fine." Felicity kissed Oliver's cheek before looking over at Diggle, ushering to him that they should make a movie. " _You_ be careful, okay?"

The trio parted ways and despite having Diggle with her, Oliver couldn't rid himself of the terrible feeling in his gut.


	6. Chapter 6

"Oliver." Diggle's deep voice rang through Oliver's ear piece. His tone was thick and restrained and instantly, Oliver knew something was wrong.

Oliver had spent the evening seizing as much weaponry as he could from the teenagers in the Glades. After speaking to Lyla; Oliver, Diggle and Felicity had come to the decision that all of the weapons seized would be handed over to Amanda Waller and her team at A.R.G.U.S. In an unsurprising turn of events, the amount that Oliver had collected was extortionate. From small hand guns to military shot guns; the Glades was equipped for a war front – well, _not anymore._ A fist fight or two, a few arrows to fatty pieces of skin and several break-ins later, Oliver had managed to do everything physically possible in order to keep the people in the Glades safe. And now, a proud Oliver Queen was on his way back to the foundry at Verdant when Diggle had called for him.

"What happened?" Oliver growled out, his speed increasing as he zoomed through dinner traffic, his bike weaving this way and that. "Is … Is Felicity okay?" Oliver couldn't even comprehend the thought of Felicity being hurt … or worse. The simple image made his heart ache and his blood boil.

"I …" Diggle, back at the lair, rubbed a stressed palm across his face. "I don't know, man." Felicity had gone to see Holland Hawkins tonight, to pay her respects and Diggle, being her eyes and ears, had sat in a car outside as she snooped. However, Diggle now regretted that decision massively because Felicity had come out of the house a changed person. Her eyes were hollow and cold and her body utterly rigid. As soon as she'd stepped onto the dark pavement, Diggle had run out of the car to stop Felicity's body from dropping lifelessly to the floor. Diggle had no clue about what had happened in the Hawkins' household, he just knew it was bad; the usually chatty Felicity hadn't muttered a word in the past two hours. It was unprecedented for her. "She's silent, won't say a word about what happened."

"I'm on my way." Oliver's voice crackled over the intercom before he disconnected the line, determined to make it back in record timing.

Diggle simply nodded before turning his attention back towards Felicity. Diggle and Felicity were good friends, the greatest actually. John Diggle wasn't really accustomed to having many friends but the few that he did befriend meant the world to him, Felicity being one of them. The blonde was so full of life and hope; it scared Diggle to see her so _broken._ She currently sat on the cold floor, her knees pulled to her chest as she stared off blankly into the distance.

"Felicity," Diggle approached her slowly, cautiously. His hands were raised in a surrender motion yet, that did nothing for her. Felicity was irresponsive to Diggle's voice and his movements. It was if he wasn't even there. "Felicity, what happened?" But, Diggle's question was to no use; she said nothing.

And so, they waited. Diggle simply rubbed comfortingly at Felicity's shoulder until Oliver came pummelling down the basement stairs. Oliver was skipping three, even four, steps at a time. His footsteps were heavy and loud, his run filled with an urgency that Diggle had never seen before. Aggressively, Oliver threw his jacket off himself and onto the island in the middle of the room. Diggle, acknowledging Oliver's need to be alone with Felicity – for her sake – nodded curtly before ascending up the stairs that Oliver had just come from. With a swift look at Diggle, Oliver moved towards Felicity.

"Felicity," Oliver's usually raspy voice was so soft it surprised even him. It was just the power that Felicity possessed over him; he didn't just want to be the damaged and scarred Oliver that he was in front of everybody else. Oliver wanted to be more with Felicity _–_ he _was_ more with her. But, at what cost? He had sent her into a lion's den and she was evidently not okay after it. Oliver hated himself for putting her through that. He hated that he had allowed her to walk into the Hawkins' home and he hated himself for not stopping her from doing so. "Felicity, can you tell me what happened?" He squatted down next to her, seizing her delicate hands into his own.

"He," Felicity gulped audibly, after endless minutes of silence. Felicity, with her mind all over the place, didn't know why she was comfortable enough to talk to Oliver and not Diggle. She loved Diggle but there was something about Oliver … something unexplainable that _trusted_ him. Felicity trusted Oliver with her life and she trusted him with _this_. "He … _he_ was there, I don't know why but, he was there."

"Who?" Oliver leaned forward, practically pulling Felicity onto his lap. Felicity embraced his touch and let her head rest against his chest, the three second increments of his heartbeat soothing her raging nerves. "Who was there?"

"He was there and he was smiling," Felicity begin to babble, completely unaware of the confusion written on Oliver's face. Despite his confusion, Oliver knew Felicity needed this, she needed to vent. "I can't remember the last time I saw him smile; I didn't even think he knew how. I didn't even know he had a dimple, right here-" Felicity used her perfectly sculpted nail to point at a spot on Oliver's stubble covered cheek. "I couldn't even remember him properly until tonight; he was just an enigma, just this person that I skirted around and didn't talk about. I'd practically forgotten everything about him, how he walked, talked-"

"Who, Felicity? Who did you forget?" Absentmindedly, Oliver combed his fingers through Felicity's messy hair, the pads of his fingers slowly massaging her scalp. "Who did you see tonight?"

"He was there, at Holland Hawkins' house – my Da-" Felicity couldn't bring herself to say the word _Dad._ Because, Felicity had never truly had one – a Dad. Edward Smithson was many things, but he was _not_ a father. Even before Edward Smithson had left Donna and Felicity Smoak, he had barely been home. He'd spend his days at the casino or out with his friends, just never with his family. And, when Donna's tears and Felicity's prepubescent nagging had gotten too much to bear, he had picked up and left, never to be seen or heard from again- "Edward, I saw Edward." - Until today.

"Oh, Felicity," Oliver's heart wrenched at the pain Felicity's father had put her through. At the time, Oliver had just seen Felicity as his kid sister's friend but, even then, he knew how much Edward's departure had done to her. "I'm sorry."

Oliver's grip on Felicity tightened and she didn't know why but everything seemed to become so overwhelming. Burying her face in Oliver's chest, she sobbed. The chokes came out muffled against Oliver's top and all he could do was clutch her fragile body to him. Oliver felt so helpless, it hurt, it physically hurt to see her this way. "Shh, hey, it'll be okay," Oliver rubbed at her upper arms, whispering sweet nothings into her ear. "Everything will be all right."

The two sat intertwined in each other until Felicity's tears stopped and even still, Felicity was reluctant to let Oliver go. She didn't know how long they had been sitting on the floor of the foundry but time seemed like a foreign concept to them both. Time didn't matter, in fact, nothing other than each other mattered. Being in Oliver's arms, like this, made Felicity feel safe; she didn't have to worry about the weight of the world.

"Oliver," Felicity mumbled against Oliver's throat, her lips brushing against his Adam's apple. Oliver's body shivered in response and he subconsciously gripped at Felicity tighter, his fingers spreading out across her waist. She wasn't aware of what she did to him. Felicity's bright coloured lips and her short skirts drove Oliver crazy and she didn't even know it, it was what made her all the more beautiful. "Thank you."

"For what, Felicity?" Oliver's cheek rested against the crown of Felicity's head.

"For being here, with me," Felicity barely whispered, her cheeks tinging a strawberry pink. "For choosing to take care of me as a blubbering mess." A dry chuckle escaped Felicity's lips as she tried to make light of their current situation, however, Oliver – being Oliver – scowled.

"Felicity," Oliver, despite having a scowl on his face, hummed her name lightly. "You're upset; there was no choice for me to make. I will _always_ be here for you."

Felicity turned in Oliver's arms to face him. She wasn't sure why she did it but – she did. The two were in close proximity of one another and before they could stop themselves, their lips were touching. At first, it was just a gentle peck; their lips barely even touching – a whisper of a kiss. But it was as if the other were a drug and they were an addict because within seconds, the two were gripping at each other clumsily. The kiss was desperate and animalistic, a fiery spark igniting between the two of them. Their hands grasped at each other, pulling at hair, exposed flesh and clothing; their mouths moving at an equally as urgent pace. The lights within the lair were switching to light saver mode customarily, a brick orange ray casting exquisite flickers of light upon Felicity's milky skin. Slowly, Oliver pulled away from Felicity, his fingers drumming against her side absentmindedly. Felicity looked so … wild. The sight was perfection at its purest and Oliver was suddenly taken aback by Felicity's natural beauty. His gaze was trying to commit everything about Felicity's to memory; every nook, every cranny, every imperfection that made her … perfect With large calloused hands, Oliver pulled Felicity's luscious body closer to his chest. "I will _always_ protect you."

There was a finality in Oliver's voice, one that gave Felicity some hope; hope that everything would be okay.

 _Eventually._


	7. Chapter 7

Felicity enjoyed being normal. It was a rare occasion but she appreciated the little things. She enjoyed painting her nails, curling up on couch, reading a book, experimenting with her makeup; today was one of those days. Thea sat cross-legged upon Felicity's bed, contemplating her choices in nail paint whilst Felicity rummaged through her minimal closet. Being Oliver Queen's assistant by day and well, Oliver Queen or the Arrow's accomplice at night, Felicity's wardrobe just consisted of work-wear. There was a row of pencil skirts, a similar row of blouses and a neatly folded pile of smart dresses. However, there was nothing for a night out on the town.

"Thea, why can't I just wear a pencil skirt?" Felicity sighed, flopping onto the floor space in front of her closet. She pulled her cartoon-pyjama covered legs up to her chest, her chin resting on top of her knees.

"Why can't you just take something of mine?" Thea retorted back, looking away from her nails for the first time in an hour. "Look, this is the first time we've promoted an event at the club and it's also the first time you and Olly are coming out to the public."

"What does that have to do with my clothing choices?" Felicity whined like a child, stomping her feet in mock protest. "I've been seen with you and Oliver in public loads of times before, it's practically the same thing tonight."

The truth was that Felicity was accustomed to the fame that came with the Queen family. They were a family who had been in the spotlight their whole lives. Sometimes, Felicity would just be getting into a car with Thea and they'd be swarmed by paparazzi. But, Felicity – now as Oliver's fake … or not so fake girlfriend – was going to receive a lot more unwanted media attention than she had previously received.

"But this is the first time you'll be holding hands and making puppy dog eyes at each other-"

"We do not make puppy dog eyes at one another!" Felicity blushed furiously, her milky skin turning a bright shade of red. After their kiss in the foundry, Oliver and Felicity had been skirting around the topic of what exactly they were; neither of them wanting to ruin what they currently had. When nobody was looking they would find any excuse to touch either, whether that was a kiss or a hug or simply a squeeze of the hand. The gestures were so comforting – for the both of them – and they were scared talking about their relationship would ruin it.

"Oh please, who are you trying to fool?" Thea simply rolled her eyes. Every time she was with Oliver and Felicity, she felt stupid for not setting them up sooner. They found opportunity that they had to glance at each other, smile at each other. Seeing them together was sweet and simultaneously sickening. "Look, this is the one night that you can just relax and let loose, _enjoy_ it."

"Thea," Felicity sighed. "I'm not the type of girl who goes clubbing and gets drunk-"

"You are tonight." With a devious smirk pasted across her lips, Thea began getting Felicity ready, much to Felicity's dismay.

Despite it being just a little after four, Thea spent hours oiling, tweezing and painting Felicity. After arguing her case weakly for about an hour, Felicity admitted defeat and gave herself up to Thea. Without any objection, Thea performed some of her best work on Felicity. She had already had an outfit for the blonde in mind and piecing together the rest of her look had been a breeze. The hairstyle, the nails, the makeup had all come together like an artist's vision on a canvas. Felicity Smoak - the MIT graduate – was unrecognisable when Thea was done with her. Felicity stood before a mirror, a few hours later, and her lips were gaping like a fish out of water.

"So, do you like it?" Thea bounced on the balls of her feet, excitement bubbling within her.

"Like it?" Felicity made faces at herself in the mirror, just to ensure the reflection was in fact her. The notion simply made Thea laugh – only Felicity was capable of doing something like that.

"Thea," Felicity choked out. "Like it? I _love_ it. I mean who would have thought of me in leather, huh? Well apart from that one sleazy guy I went on a date with in college-" Felicity pressed her palms against the material of her leather skirt. She had to admit, the look was edgy and something she wouldn't usually opt for, however, Felicity found herself liking what the mirror reflected back to her.

"I'm pretty sure, Olly will too." Thea winked as they gathered their belongings; bags and purses.

As the owner of Verdant, Thea had to be there early in order to set up and, as per usual, Oliver, Diggle, Lyla, Laurel, Roy and Felicity had offered to help. And by the time that Felicity and Thea got to the club, everybody was already there. Roy was frantically passing out orders and the friends, Thea and Felicity, barked out laughter, making their entrance known. Everybody turned towards them yet the only person the two of them were focused on was Oliver.

Thea – who knew her brother well, _really well_ – could see the gears turning in his head. She could see how attracted he was to Felicity, she could see how captivated he was by her beauty and then she could see the jealousy spark within him. Oliver was currently standing at the bar and as soon as he heard her laugh his head snapped towards the doorway. Her laughter was, as cliché as it sounded, like music to his ears and a smile instantly pulled at the corners of his mouth. But, as is his eyes took in what she was wearing, he wasn't sure if he was meant to smile or if he was meant to scowl.

Felicity's golden tresses had been let loose and curled to absolute perfection, each tendril flicking inwards to frame her face. The makeup on Felicity's face was minimal, excluding the area around her eyes. Her eyelids were coated in hues of brown and gold, adding an unexpected rebelliousness to her usually whimsical face. Equally, Felicity's outfit screamed rebellion. She was in a pair of black heels that made her legs go on for years; a leather skirt and cropped black vest to match. Her left arm was covered in a black laced-up bracelet that trailed from her wrist to her forearm.

She looked absolutely _breath-taking._ But, Oliver acknowledged that he wouldn't be the only person who thought so. Anger coursed through him at the thought of drunken sleazebags attempting to make moves on _his_ girl.

"Oh thank god!" Roy rushed towards his girlfriend, enveloping her in a bone-crushing hug. His buff arms wrapped around Thea's body, practically hauling her feet off the ground. "I don't get how you do this-" Roy ushered to nothing in particular. Verdant had been transformed with extra florescent lighting and themed decorations and drinks. Like Felicity, the place was transformed anew. "I'll stick to handling the bar." Thea just kissed Roy's cheek, thanking him for stepping in for her whilst she got ready.

As the couple had their little encounter, Felicity found herself drifting towards Oliver and vice versa. Oliver was making his way around the bar and Felicity was walking towards it; they meet each other halfway in a clumsy encounter. Felicity stuck out her hand stupidly and Oliver went in for a hug, resulting in an all most painful collaboration of limbs. Felicity let out a huff of air and Oliver chuckled softly before pulling away from her quickly, only to tug her back into the hug that he had desired originally. This time, Felicity's arm wasn't squished in between the two but wrapped around Oliver's torso.

"You look-" Oliver couldn't find enough words to describe what Felicity looked like. Oliver's speechlessness screamed words to Felicity and she couldn't help but look down at her shoes, covering up her blush with her hair. Wanting to see the effect that he had on Felicity, Oliver pushed her locks behind her ear, his fingers brushing across her heated cheek. "Can we … talk?" Oliver glanced about at all of his friends busy at work. It seemed like they had it handled. Oliver knew, sooner or later, that he and Felicity would have to talk about their relationship and now was better than ever. "In private?" Felicity took her own look at everybody else before nodding, following Oliver down to the foundry.

Oliver flicked a switch and a row of lights flickered on, igniting the familiar workspace for the duo. They progressed down the stairs in silence, trying to break a sudden tension that had settled over them. Felicity took a seat in her usual swivel chair in front of the computers and Oliver rested against the island in the middle. Like they had been for the past few weeks, neither Oliver nor Felicity knew how to start this conversation. So, they sat in silence.

"Can I tell you something?" Felicity asked, noticing Oliver's struggle to put words together. Usually, it was her who was struggled with coherent sentences and so she sympathised with his situation. She also knew that if this was the moment that they were going to talk about being in a relationship, she had to be honest about a few things first. "Something I've never told _anyone_ before, not even Thea."

"Of course, you can tell me anything." Oliver nodded, leaning forward to listen intently.

"You remember Cooper-"

"Ex-boyfriend, Cooper?" Oliver said his name as if he were spitting out something sour. Cooper had been Felicity's first and only serious relationship, something that Oliver was threatened by.

"Yeah," Felicity huffed gently, wisps of her blonde hair flying. Her eyes glazed over into a distant look as she recalled painful memories that she, previously, had spent so long trying to repress. "When I met Cooper, I thought that was it for me. I thought he was the person I was going to spend the rest of my life with." Oliver tried to push aside his jealousy as he saw pure grief float across Felicity's face. He didn't know much about Felicity's relationship with Cooper but Cooper had evidently left a mark on her. "We had these big plans, plans that were mere moments from coming true. I remember it was about … three or four months before our finals-" Felicity was choking on her words and she closed her eyes, trying to collect her thoughts.

"Hey, hey," Oliver reached for her, taking her hand in his own. "It's okay, you can tell me."

"Cooper was from a working class family, like me. We'd both gotten into MIT on scholarships and I guess we bonded over the fact that we weren't like most of our rich peers. I got a job at the local tech store for some extra cash; it was how I got interested in cyber-security. Cooper, on the other hand, spent his time in our dorm creating what we used to call the 'hack-tivist' group, for lack of a better word. I loved Cooper and so, I helped him create this super virus that could give us root access to any infected server." Absentmindedly, Felicity swivelled about in her chair. "Cooper, behind my back, was using the virus to wipe student loans. He was doing it so I didn't have to work all the time and my mom didn't have to worry about doing seventeen hour shifts to help me finance my education. What Cooper didn't know was that his DNS was configured."

"Meaning?" Oliver asked, getting her to break down her technical talk.

"It meant that Cooper had broken the law and the FBI could track him down," A stray tear rolled down Felicity's cheek. "They arrested him in front of me. We were walking home from lunch and they practically snatched him away from me. I saw them throw him to the ground, I heard his body smack against the concrete … I can still hear that sound in my head."

"Felicity-"

"I went to see Cooper, in Iron Heights; I wanted to confess to the police. I wanted to tell them that I had created the virus and the whole operation was my fault but he told me it wasn't worth it, that both of us in prison wasn't worth it. He was _sacrificing_ himself for me, so that I could live a happy life." Felicity smiled through her tears. "But I couldn't … I couldn't be remotely happy because hours, just _hours_ after my visit, I got a call from Cooper's mom." This time, Felicity didn't hold in her tears. She let them flow like she had the night she'd seen her father. "Cooper had hung himself before sentencing."

"Felicity, I'm so sorry." Oliver's heart ached for Felicity. He didn't know how to make her feel better and that hurt the most, knowing he could only watch her fall apart helplessly.

"That part of the story I told Thea," Felicity sniffled, rubbing the back of her palm against her nose. "But, what Thea, or anybody else for that matter, didn't know was that … I was this-" Felicity held her index finger and thumb together. "Close from dropping out of college. I had signed all of the forms and had packed all my bags because suddenly, life wasn't worth living anymore. We were meant to get married, you know?" Oliver wasn't expecting that and he looked back at Felicity, utterly shocked. He knew her and Cooper were serious but not _that_ serious. "Cooper and I were going to graduate together and move into this apartment just outside of Starling City, we'd been saving for the lease for months. After his death, I spent weeks just wallowing, I died my hair black, I sat indoors all the time until I realised … I wasn't the only one experiencing this degree of pain." Felicity looked directly at Oliver, her blue eyes boring into his. "Thea was too … because that was when she'd lost you and your dad on the Queen's Gambit. I saw what it did to her and unintentionally, Thea was the one who picked me back up again. It was her who drove me to be better and to move on with my life."

"Felicity, do you want this?" Oliver moved to crouch before her, his hands grasping her knees. "Us?"

"Oliver-" Felicity started, only to be swiftly interrupted.

"And, I don't mean just the kisses or the touching; I mean … this, _us,_ for real. A proper relationship not that we don't have one … I mean .. We do but I don't to … I'm not Cooper-"

"Usually I'm the one who talks in sentence fragments." Felicity chuckled, placing her hand over Oliver's, their fingers threading together. "I don't want to read too much into this but, are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"

"I …" Oliver tried compose himself, scolding himself internally for behaving like a love-stricken teenager. Billionaire playboy, Oliver Queen, wouldn't have been caught dead stumbling over his words as he tried to talk to a girl – how times had changed. Because, here he was, billionaire singleton, Oliver Queen, with no clue how to ask the girl of his dreams to be his girlfriend. "I want-"

"I'm scared," Felicity's admitted softly, her fingers twisting together in nervousness. "I'm scared that what happened to Cooper will happen to you, I'm scared that … I'll lose you." Felicity's voice had quietened to the point where Oliver could barely hear her. "He never made me feel like _this_ , the way you make me feel and … I'm petrified that I'm not strong enough to make it out alive if something goes wrong this time-"

"You're not going to lose me so there's nothing for you to be afraid of." Oliver found his tongue when he realised that this was the one moment that Felicity had opened her heart out to him; it was time for him to do the same. "I want to be the guy that _you_ deserve and that means sticking by you, no matter what." Oliver placed a lingering kiss to Felicity's forehead. "And, I promise you, you're the strongest person I know. You've experienced so much in such little time and, here you are, a fighter. There's nothing in this world left that can you break you."

"How do you know?" Felicity sighed heavily.

"Because you still managed to direct me to safety with a ticking bomb around your neck, because you risk your life for me every day, because you took a bullet for you friend, you walked into a mob casino, you jumped off a plane onto a deserted island; the list goes on. You are your own hero, Felicity, and I don't know what I'm meant to do to prove that to you." Oliver used his hand to cup Felicity's neck, her head falling sideways into his touch. "You're _my girl,_ my girl-Wednesday," Oliver chuckled at his own stupidity. "And, I want to be with you … I want you to be my girlfriend."

"I want to be your girl- _Friday,"_ Felicity corrected, leaning in for a kiss, her arms wrapping around Oliver's neck. Oliver willingly let Felicity pull him forward, their noses touching. They were so close, Felicity could all most taste Oliver's minty breathe. "I want to be your girlfriend." Oliver received her kiss willing, his teeth smacking against her lips as he smiled genuinely.

This was the happiest he'd been in … _forever_. But what Oliver Queen knew of happiness was that it didn't last long. In his and Felicity's case, it didn't even last one whole evening.


End file.
